Smartphone users should be prepared for some “network congestion” as tons of people try to send out calls, texts, pictures and videos.

“The mobile data is really going to be strained as thousands of folks try to use their devices all at once,” said Cathy Lewandowski, an AT&T spokeswoman.

But efforts have been made by AT&T and other providers, such as Verizon, to improve service for the hordes of people headed that way, said Brooke Jung, a solar eclipse marketing and events consultant in Hopkinsville.

For example, AT&T is touting its Mega Cell on Wheels, also known as a Mega COW, to boost internet connectivity. It's to help out on a farm outside of Hopkinsville where many eclipse chasers will flock because it's said to be the ideal place to watch.

The COW is expected to “boost network capacity by 300 percent,” Lewandowski said. It’s a “10-beam antenna that provides 10 times the network capacity of a traditional single-beam antenna.”

But people should still remember that “when you have this large concentration of users, the network resources can become overloaded, so I would say text messages would definitely go through more quickly than voice calls,” she said. “I would be prepared for high call volume. … You will get network congestion.”

You might get a fast busy signal on your wireless phone or a slow dial tone on your landline phone, she said. "If this happens, hang up, wait a few seconds and try it again."

But the inconvenience is worth it, some say.

Overall, "it's so exciting for our community," said Kelli Pendleton, president and chief executive officer of the Christian County Chamber of Commerce. "Everybody is thrilled to have people from all over the world come here."

Reporter Darla Carter can be reached at (502) 582-7068 or dcarter@courier-journal.com.